Artesia town hall seeks to address immigration issues as undocumented are transferred to FLETC

Photo by Zack Ponce - Current-Argus
Central American immigrants who are awaiting either deportation or an immigration trial are housed in rooms that hold eight people.

ARTESIA >> Some Central American immigrants who crossed the border into the United States illegally are now staying in barracks at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Artesia.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency began transporting female adults with children to a special residential section of FLETC on Friday according to ICE. Approximately 168 immigrants were at the facility as of Tuesday afternoon according to an Immigration official.

Around 400 people attended a town hall meeting hosted by the City of Artesia and Eddy County on Tuesday evening at the Artesia Recreation Center. The standing room-only crowd filled with many concerned locals asked questions primarily focused on the security of the immigrants and the city, as well as the detainees' health.

Photo by Zack Ponce - Current-Argus
Central American immigrants who are awaiting either deportation or an immigration trial are housed in air-conditioned, military-style community barracks in a sectioned-off area of FLETC.

Artesia Mayor Phillip Burch, Eddy County Manager Rick Rudometkin, Artesia Police Chief Don Raley and Eddy County Sheriff Scott London were in attendance to answer questions, along with FLETC and ICE site directors.

All of the immigrants who have been transported to FLETC are receiving "know your rights" presentations and a list of free legal services providers in both El Paso and Denver, according to an ICE official.

ICE was notified two weeks ago that the Obama administration wanted to house immigrants at the FLETC campus in Artesia. Since receiving the order, ICE and FLETC officials had been working together to prepare the residential housing units, medical barracks, processing center and outside recreational areas.

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The FLETC residential area can hold a maximum of 672 immigrants, but ICE officials said last week that the facility will likely average around 600 detainees at any given time. Most of the undocumented immigrants who will be housed at FLETC originate from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala, according to ICE officials.

The immigrants are housed in an air-conditioned, military-style community barracks while they await deportation or an immigration trial. Only detainees who have no criminal background are eligible to stay at the facility.

Immigrant children have the freedom to play outside and roam around the barracks which include a community playroom equipped with a television. Mothers are given the necessary resources and freedom to care for their children.

ICE and FLETC officials opened the immigrant housing area to members of the media on Thursday who toured the living quarters before any detainees had arrived.